The Toughest Decision
by Swan7
Summary: This is a tale of a freedom-fighting hedgehog in a quest to save his closest ally, Tails, from the clutches of Dr.Eggman. Doing so, he himself is captured, and at Eggman's mercy. Sonic is determined to escape the place, and the painful diamond shackle. It does'nt help with a replica watching his every move, but a bigger plan is at hand. Is he not the only one with this problem?
1. The Meeting

"Sonic!"A voice yelled from the distance,"Oh Sonic, come quick!""Huh?"Sonic blinked open his lime-green eyes and stretched his arms along with long yawn,"Ahhhh! What a nice nap."He threw his hands behind his head and kicked back. A pink figure stormed through the door, hands on hips. Sonic opened one eye, "What is it Amy?"He said, not exactly happy to see her."What is it!?"Amy fumed, her face almost as red as her dress, "What is it!?"

Sonic turned his head towards his window. "Oh no," Sonic slapped his hand to his face, "Not this again! "He turned back to the angry hedgehog."Sonic! This is serious!" Amy groaned," Princess Sally is holding a meeting at her hut. She thinks Eggman is up to something."Amy turned her dark green gaze to the window."But what?"She asked herself out loud. Sonic hesitated, but jumped from his spot by the windowsill.

"No time to lose!"He said, grabbing Amy's hand, "Let's go! He zipped out the door, "Sonic! Slow down!" Amy wailed, legs flying behind her. Sonic turned his head, midrun. "Sorry Amy," He apologized," But you know that's not possible! "He skidded to a halt in front of the Princess's hut and knocked on the door.

"Come in Sonic!"said a voice. It was Princess Sally's. Sonic swung open the door, "Morning Sal! "One hand on the knob, the other waving to the small group. "Hey everybody!" The group waved back, "Morning Sonic!" They all said in a polite tone. All except for one..."Sonic!"The Princess said crossing her arms, blue eyes in a glare, "You're late. That's unusual."

Sonic's pupils shrunk. "Me?" He gasped, "Never! Besides, I should be allowed a break! Yesterday was hard work!" He sighed. Sally's eyes squinted, "That's no excuse!" She shrugged, "As top freedom-fighter I expect you to be on time!"Sally turned back to face the others. Sonic was about to give her a stinging retort but thought better of it. He scanned the room for a seat. "Sonic! Over here!" Tails shouted, blue eyes shining. He pointed to an empty seat next to him.

"Thanks pal! "Sonic whispered as he sat next to his friend. Tails was just about the only friend that completely understood him."What's wrong with Sal?"Sonic asked, throwing his feet on the table and crossing his arms. Tails hesitated," She's worried Sonic. "He began to say. A look of uneasiness appeared on his face."Eggman's been keeping to himself lately. We think something is up."

Lights flicked off and on and a brown figure sat on a throne on the far side of the table, Princess Sally."Freedom-fighters of all ages," she said with a serious tone, "I am afraid we need to pay another visit to Mobius. Eggman's been too quiet since we jammed his main power source and I'm sure he is planning revenge."Gasps were spreading throughout the room, "Could this be true?"Roter said, tapping his hands to his husks.

"If so we're doomed!"Wailed Antoine, shaking in terror. Antoine was afraid of everything."Calm down Antoine."Said Knuckles, nudging him with his elbow. It may seem kind of odd but surprisingly Knuckles and Antoine were close Knuckles, brave as a bear, to Antoine, a scaredy cat, this was especially they shared one thing in common, jealousy of Sonic.

Antwan always wanted Sally to his side, yet Sonic kept winning her as Knuckles had always wanted to be the hero, but with Sonic in the spotlight that was...um,...well,...Impossible! Sonic overhears them talking about it sometimes but just ignores it. After all, it's not his fault he's so good at his job and that Sally is hanging on him all the time.

"I've decided who will join me."Sally announced, shuffling uneasily in her throne. "Sonic, Tails, and Amy." At that moment Amy's eyes began to sparkle, "Oh Sonic!" She wailed, jumping in Sonic's lap and almost Knocking him over, "I get to come with you!"Sonic tried to duck, but was too late, "Amy watch out!" She swung her arms around his neck, almost chocking him to death, and kissed his forehead."You'd make a great couple!"Sally teased as the crowd began to laugh."Oh boy..."Sonic sighed, wishing he were invisible.

The sun began to rise just as Sonic reached the tall cliff that stood before all of Mobius. He longed for the sight of birds chirping above his head and the sound of rushing water, but all that was to be heard was the sound of clanking metal and the sputter of oil polluting the ground. "I sure don't know what you're up to Eggman."He sighed, taking in a deep breath of foul air, "But one thing's for sure. I will return Mobius back to the way it was, and there's no way you can stop me!"


	2. Eggman's Base

**CHAPTER.2**

Sonic sped off, leaving his friends in the dust. "Sonic!" Amy wailed, "Slow down! "Her dress flew up and she held it back down."Don't worry Amy. "Tails said with a smile," Sonic's just anxious that's all."They kept walking as Mobius came into view "I'll go get him. "Tails hollered as took off in the air. Sally scrolled over her computer. "Nichole," she told it, "I want to know if Eggman's power is back on yet."

The computer hesitated, as if downloading information."YES PRINCESS SALLY, "it finally said, "EGGMAN HAD A BACKUP." Sally slapped her leg, "I knew it!" She yelled, "That rotten egg!" Amy jumped, hand her mouth, "What is it Sally?" "That darn Eggman! He had plenty of time to strike! "Sally groaned, "How could I be so stupid?"Amy cocked her head," What do you mean?"

"I mean it's a trap!" She turned to run," Quick! We've gott'a find them! Sonic and Tails could be in danger!"

"Hey Sonic!"A yellow figure flew over Sonic as he was running. "Sonic, stop!" It yelled. Sonic screeched to a halt."How's it goin' Tails?" The young fox was gasping for air by the time he reached the ground."N-no b-body can keep up with y-you S-Sonic."He breathed. Sonic gave him a pat on the back, "You held up pretty good there big guy.""Thanks S-Sonic."Tails said. A smile began to appear on his face. Sonic smirked, "Ok Tails, ready for some fun?"Tails nodded."Let's go catch ourselves an Egghead!"

Sonic grabbed Tails' arm, "Prepare for takeoff! "Tails joked. Sonic began to run, dodging lumps of garbage and puddles of muck. It didn'tt take long for them to reach Eggman's base. "Sonic, there it is!" The sixteen year-old fox stood in awe at the huge building. It was made of metal, as usual, but had a new table at the front that Sonic had never seen before. A shimmer came up from an item on the table.

"What's that?"Tails said, flying up to it. "Tails wait!" "Sonic pleaded, "Something strange is going on here."Tails landed and looked back at Sonic, "Don't worry Sonic. I'll be ok."He took a step towards the gleaming object."It may give us information about Dr. Egg..."Tails was cut off as a circular shadow appeared over his head.

"Tails, Watch out!"Sonic gasped, lunging forward. A large robot, almost as big as Eggman, jumped in front of Sonic, blocking his way."Let me through!"Sonic yelled, beginning to spin. The robot stayed where he was."BY ORDER OF DR. EGGMAN YOU ARE UNDER ARREST.""I don't think so!"Sonic spun right through the middle of the robot. It fell to the ground and it's helmet began to buzz."ALERT! ALERT!"

Hundreds of robots jumped out of nowhere and surrounded Sonic. His foot slid back and his eyes narrowed in a glare, "I said let me through."The nearest robot's head began to blink red, as if it already knew it was about to be destroyed. "Hello Sonic," A familiar voice said in a harsh tone. Robots on all sides spread apart to reveal a shadow with a capsule at its side."Help me Sonic!"Tails screamed, banging on the glass.

"I't's nice to see you again." Eggman said. Chills ran up and down Sonic's spine. "That's a funny thing for you to say Eggman."Sonic finally said, his stomach tightening, "I thought you never wanted to see me again."Eggman patted his mustache,"I used to think that Sonic, but if everything goes as planned I'll be happy to see you every day."He pulled the shiny ring off the table.

"What are you up to Eggman?"Sonic asked, crossing his arms. Eggman span the ring on his finger."Me? Why... I just want to make a trade..."Sonic began to spin again, this time aiming for the capsule. "I don't make deals with You Egghead!" He yelled. In the blink of an eye he hit it. _Thud! _Sonic bounced back and landed in the dust,"Oof!" He groaned, rubbing his head. Eggman leaned against the capsule, amusement glinted in his eyes. He snapped his fingers and two robots grabbed Sonic's arms, cuffed him, and lifted him off the ground."Bring him to me!"

They slowly carried the blue hedgehog into the shadow of the notorious Dr. and threw him at his feet. Eggman smiled and patted the capsule, as Tails stared frozen in horror."You see Sonic,"Eggman smirked, "I've been out diamond hunting lately..."Sonic slowly began to blink open his eyes."Since it is the hardest substance on earth,"Eggman continued, "I knew it would be strong enough to block that foolish spin attack of yours."Sonic flicked his ear, "I'm all ears." He joked quietly.

"Good."Eggman snickered, "Now, as you already know, I missed your eighteenth birthday."Eggman rubbed the shimmering ring against his vest. Sonic smiled and began a small chuckle."Yeah I know right? First one that did'nt end up in ruins."Eggman shoved the ring in Sonic's face, "Silence blue rat!" He snarled. Sonic faced the other direction, closed one eye, and continued to speak, "I could run if I wanted to."

"But you won't."Eggman shrugged, tapping the diamond capsule which contained Tails. Sonic turned to face his frightened ally and frowned. _How am I supposed to get out of this one? _He asked himself.

"What do you want Eggman?"Sonic sighed. Eggman grinned," That's better. "He said, straightening his oversized mustache. "I wanted to give you a little something to show my appreciation for all those years of you ruining my plans."He leaned in real close to the hedgehog's face, "And trust me Sonic, I have no appreciation for that!"


	3. The Diamond Ring

DISCLAMER!** I do not own any of the characters! They are owned by SEGA, wich is pretty obvious. ;)**

"Sonic!"A voice yelled from the distance,"Oh Sonic,come quick!""Huh?"Sonic blinked open his lime-green eyes and stretched his arms along with long yawn,"Ahhhh! What a nice nap."He threw his hands behind his head and kicked back. A pink fugure stormed through the door, hands on hips. Sonic opened one eye,"What is it Amy?"He said, not exactly happy to see her."What is it!?"Amy fumed, her face almost as red as her dress,"What is it!?"

Sonic turned his head towards his window."Oh no,"Sonic slapped his hand to his face,"Not this again!"He turned back to the angry hedgehog."Sonic! This is serious!"Amy groaned,"Princess Sally is holding a meeting at her hut. She thinks Eggman is up to something."Amy turned her dark green gaze to the window."But what?"She asked herself outloud. Sonic hesitated, but jumped from his spot by the windowsill.

"No time to lose!"He said, grabbing Amy's hand,"Let's go!"He zipped out the door,"Sonic! Slow down!" Amy wailed, legs flying behind her. Sonic turned his head, midrun. "Sorry Amy,"He apologized,"But you know that's not possible! "He skidded to a halt infront of the Princess's hut and knocked on the door.

"Come in Sonic!"said a voice. It was Princess Sally's. Sonic swung open the door,"Morning Sal! "One hand on the knob, the other waving to the small group. "Hey Everybody!"The group waved back,"Morning Sonic!"They all said in a polite tone. All except for one..."Sonic!"The Princess said crossing her arms, blue eyes in a glare,"You're late. That's unusual."

Sonic's pupils shrunk."Me?" He gasped,"Never! Besides, I should be alloud a break! Yesterday was hard work!" He sighed. Sally's eyes squinted,"That's no excuse!"She shrugged,"As top freedom-fighter I expect you to be on time!"Sally turned back to face the others. Sonic was about to give her a stinging retort but thought better of it. He scanned the room for a seat. "Sonic! Over here!" Tails shouted, blue eyes shining. He pointed to an empty seat next to him.

"Thanks pal! "Sonic whispered as he sat next to his friend. Tails was just about the only friend that completely understood him."What's wrong with Sal?"Sonic asked, throwing his feet on the table and crossing his arms. Tails hesitated,"She's worried Sonic."He began to say. A look of uneasiness appeared on his face."Eggman's been keeping to himself lately. We think something is up."

Lights flicked off and on and a brown figure sat on a throne on the far side of the table, Princess Sally."Freedom-fighters of all ages,"she said with a serious tone,"I am afraid we need to pay another visit to Mobius. Eggman's been too quiet since we jammed his main power source and I'm sure he is planning revenge."Gasps were spreading throughout the room,"Could this be true?"Roder said,tapping his hands to his husks.

"If so we're doomed!"Wailed Antoine, shaking in terror. Antoine was afraid of everything."Calm down Antoine."Said Knuckles, nudging him with his elbow. It may seem kind of odd but surprisingly Knuckles and Antoine were close Knuckles, brave as a bear, to Antoine, a scaredy cat, this was expecially they shared one thing in comon, jelousy of Sonic.

Antwan always wanted Sally to his side, yet Sonic kept winning her as Knuckles had always wanted to be the hero, but with Sonic in the spotlight that was...um,...well,...Impossible! Sonic overhears them talking about it sometimes but just ignores it. After all, it's not his fault he's so good at his job and that Sally is hanging on him all the time.

"I've decided who will join me."Sally announced, shuffling uneasily in her throne."Sonic,Tails,and Amy."At that moment Amy's eyes began to sparkle,"Oh Sonic!"She wailed, jumping in Sonic's lap and almost Knocking him over,"I get to come with you!"Sonic tried to duck, but was too late,"Amy watch out!"She swung her arms around his neck, almost chocking him to death, and kissed his forehead."You'd make a great couple!"Sally teased as the crowd began to laugh."Oh boy..."Sonic sighed, wishing he were invisible.

The sun began to rise just as Sonic reached the tall cliff that stood before all of Mobius. He longed for the sight of birds chirping above his head and the sound of rushing water, but all that was to be heard was the sound of clanking metal and the sputter of oil pulluting the ground."I sure do'nt know what your up to Eggman."he sighed, taking in a deep breath of foul air,"But one thing's for sure."He said, turning to his beloved home."I will return Mobius back to the way it was, and there's no way you can stop me!"

**CHAPTER 2**.

Sonic sped off, leaving his friends in the dust."Sonic!"Amy wailed,"Slow down!"Her dress flew up and she held it back down."Don't worry Amy."Tails said with a smile,"Sonic's just anxious that's all."They kept walking as Mobius came into view."I'll go get him."Tails hollared as took off in the air. Sally scrolled over her computer."Nichole,"she told it,"I want to know if Eggman's power is back on yet."

The computer hesitated, as if downloading information."YES PRINCESS SALLY,"it finally said,"EGGMAN HAD A BACKUP."Sally slapped her leg,"I knew it!"She yelled,"That rotten egg!"Amy jumped, hand her mouth,"What is it Sally?""That darn Eggman! He had plenty of time to strike!"Sally groaned,"How could I be so stupid?"Amy cocked her head,"What do you mean?""I mean it's a trap!"She turned to run,"Quick! We've got'ta find them! Sonic and Tails could be in danger!"

"Hey Sonic!"A yellow figure flew over Sonic as he was running."Sonic stop!"It yelled. Sonic screeched to a halt."How's it goin' Tails?" The young fox was gasping for air by the time he reached the ground."N-no b-body can keep up with y-you S-Sonic."He breathed. Sonic gave him a pat on the back,"You held up pretty good there big guy.""Thanks S-Sonic."Tails said. A smile began to apear on his face. Sonic smirked,"Ok Tails, ready for some fun?"Tails nodded."Let's go catch ourselves an Egghead!"

Sonic grabbed Tails' arm,"Prepare for take off!"Tails joked. Sonic began to run, dodging lumps of garbage and puddles of muck. It did'nt take long for them to reach Eggman's base."Sonic, there it is!" The sixteen year-old fox stood in awe at the huge building. It was made of metal, as usual, but had a new table at the front that Sonic had never seen before. A shimmer came up from an item on the table.

"What's that?"Tails said, flying up to it."Tails wait!""Sonic pleaded,"Something strange is going on here."Tails landed and looked back at Sonic,"Do'nt worry Sonic. I'll be ok."He took a step towards the gleaming object."It may give us information about Dr. Egg..."Tails was cut off as a circular shadow appeared over his head.

"Tails! Watch out!"Sonic gasped, lunging forward. A large robot, almost as big as Eggman, jumped infront of Sonic, blocking his way."Let me through!"Sonic yelled, beginning to spin. The robot stayed where he was."BY ORDER OF DR. EGGMAN YOU ARE UNDER ARREST.""I don't think so!"Sonic spun right through the middle of the robot. It fell to the ground and it's helmet began to buzz."ALERT! ALERT!"

Hundreds of robots jumped out of nowhere and surrounded Sonic. His foot slid back and his eyes narrowed in a glare,"I said let me through."The nearest robot's head began to blink red, as if it already knew it was about to be destroyed."Hello Sonic,"A familiar voice said in a harsh tone. Robots on all sides spread apart to reveal a shadow with a capsule at its side."Help me Sonic!"Tails screamed, banging on the glass.

"I'ts nice to see you again."Eggman said. Chills ran up and down Sonic's spine."That's a funny thing for you to say Eggman."Sonic finally said, his stomach tightening,"I thought you never wanted to see me again."Eggman patted his mustache,"I used to think that Sonic, but if everything goes as planned I'll be happy to see you every day."He pulled the shiny ring off the table.

"What are you up to Eggman?"Sonic asked, crossing his arms. Eggman span the ring on his finger."Me? Why... I just want to make a trade..."Sonic began to spin again, this time aiming for the capsule."I do'nt make deals with You Egghead!"He yelled. In the blink of an eye he hit it. _Thud! _Sonic bounced back and landed in the dust,"Oof!"He groaned, rubbing his head. Eggman leaned against the capsule, amusement glinted in his eyes. He snapped his fingers and two robots grabbed Sonic's arms, cuffed him, and lifted him off the ground."Bring him to me!"

They slowly carried the blue hedgehog into the shadow of the notorious Dr. and threw him at his feet. Eggman smiled and patted the capsule, as Tails stared frozen in horror."You see Sonic,"Eggman smirked,"I've been out diamond hunting lately..."Sonic slowly began to blink open his eyes."Since it is the hardest substance on earth,"Eggman continued,"I knew it would be strong enough to block that foolish spin attack of yours."Sonic flicked his ear,"I'm all ears."He joked quietly.

"Good."Eggman snickered,"Now, as you already know, I missed your eighteenth birthday."Eggman rubbed the shimmering ring against his vest. Sonic smiled and began a small chuckle."Yeah I know right? First one that did'nt end up in ruins."Eggman shooved the ring in Sonic's face,"Silence blue rat!"He snarled. Sonic faced the other direction, closed one eye, and continued to speak,"I could run if I wanted to."

"But you wont."Eggman shrugged, tapping the diamond capsule which contained Tails. Sonic turned to face his frightened ally and frowned. _How am I supposed to get out of this one? _He asked himself.

"What do you want Eggman?"Sonic sighed. Eggman grinned,"That's better."He said, straightning his oversized mustache."I wanted to give you a little something to show my appreciation for all those years of you ruining my plans."He leaned in real close to the hedgehog's face,"And trust me Sonic, I have no appreciation for that!"

**CHAPTER 3.**

Eggman held out the ring. "Now Sonic," he continued, "All I need you to do is take this and follow my orders." Sonic lowered his eyes and grabbed the ring."And what if I don't?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Eggman sat down and began an evil smile, "Well… let me show you." He snapped his fingers and the inside of the capsule began to twirl. "STARTING ROBOTOSIZER." A robotic voice seemed to say. "Sonic, help me!" Tails screamed. Sonic's heart skipped a beat. _It can't be!_

_"_PROCESSING, PROCESSING_." _The computer continued. "Wait!" Sonic yelled, crumbling to his knees. He took a deep breath, "You can do what you want with me; just let him go."

Eggman grinned, snapping his fingers once more. "I'm afraid I like this too much!" he said happily. Tails fell to the bottom of the capsule and stared in horror, "Sonic!" He gasped, "You did'nt just..." Sonic gazed back up at the li'l guy, "I sure did pal." He said in a reassuring voice,_ I'd do anything to protect you. _Sonic stood up to face the evil Doctor, clutching the ring tighly in his hands.

Though still in cuffs, he began tossing it into the air. "What might this be for Egghead?" He asked, a twinge of uneasiness in his voice. Eggman growled, "From now on I will be addressed as Dr. You got that Sonic?" Sonic reluctantly nodded his head, knowing that if he didn't obey that Tails would suffer for it.

"Well then," Eggman continued, "Now that that's out of the way, I want you to put that ring around your leg." Sonic stopped tossing the ring, "No way!" He said, a shocked look appeared on his face. Sonic looked at the shimmering ring and then at Tails. "All right." He groaned, leaning down and putting the ring up to his right leg.

_Click!_ The ring snapped right on. "Yes! Yes!" Eggman laughed, "Ho, ho, ho! This is by far the best day of my life!" Sonic stood up and began walking slowly towards Tails, casting swift glances at a red button connected to the diamond capsule. "I don't see what you're so excited about Egghead." He said carefully, looking back at the exited Doctor, "Nice Birthday present though, I've never gotten a diamond ring before."

Sonic continued, "Though I think you mixed up the occasion." He joked, reaching out for the button.

"Silence blue rat!" Eggman screamed, "I own you!" Sonic jumped back in surprise as Eggman pulled back his sleeve to reveal a watch, pressing one of the many buttons. "What's tha…Ahhh!" Sonic began to spark and fell to the ground, he tried to hold himself up the electricity was just too much to bear.

Eggman released the small button and Sonic collapsed, gasping for air. Tails trembled in terror. Staring in horror as his hero was beaten before his very eyes. A huge grin appeared on Eggman's face as Sonic began to slowly crawl towards the capsule. "Tails..." Sonic gasped, "Tails, go!" he pushed the button and the capsule began to lift.

"What are you doing Rodent?!" Eggman hollared, pressing the button on his watch. Tails quickly slipped out, "Sonic!" He screamed, " We have to go now!" Sonic began to spasm, "Tails!" He groaned, " I know this is hard for you but you have to go warn the others!"

Eggman sighed, "I do'nt like where this is going." He typed something into his watch and troops of robots began to surround the two. A hand reached out of the shadows and gently tapped Tails' shoulder. He spun around to see Sally and Amy. "Sally..." Tails began to say, wiping tears from his eyes."Why?.."

"Shhh." Sally hushed, grabbing his hand, "I don't know, but for now we need to warn Knothole." She pulled him into the shadows. "What about Sonic?" Tails cried. Sally put her hand on Tails' shoulder, willing him to understand. "We'll come back for him..." She comforted, raising her gaze to the motionless blue hedgehog.

"I promise."

**Thankyou for reading. Please review.**


	4. What Kind of Prison Is This?

**CHAPTER.4**

Sonic hopelessly wached them leave, straining his ears to listen for Sally's voice. But they were gone, and all that Sonic could feel was a growing pain in his heart and the tingling aftershock of the electricity. He kept his eyes off the Dr. Knowing that if he looked, a gruesome smile would be waiting for him. His heart clenched.

_Is this really happening? _He asked himself. _I must be dreaming... _

Sonic began to zone off... _A warm summer day, Tails' smile, green grass, Sally's eyes... _The peacefull thoughts seemed to surround him, but they were gone the minute Eggman rose from his seat. "Take him to his cell," he ordered the robots. "I'll deal with you tomorrow." With one last glance at Sonic the Dr. walked away, happily muttering to himself.

Robots quickly grabbed Sonic's arms, once again lifting him off the ground. They carried him into the base. Sonic's feet dragged, but he didn't fight back. It didn't matter anymore. Eggman had won, and that's that. Besides, if he tried to run he would only find himself electricuted again. As of the moment all hope was lost.

The robots stopped suddenly as a large door came into veiw. "YOUR CELL SONIC." A loud computer voice seemed to say. The robots carefully set Sonic down, as if he were a fragile peice of treasure. The doors began to open and a peircing light radiated from a lamp above. Sonic cautiously walked into the room, wincing at the brightness. Doors slammed behind him and Sonic quickly spun around.

"Wait!..." He said, grabbing the handle. _Handle? _Sonic suddenly froze at the thought. _Cells don't have handles? At least not as fancy as this... _He rubbed his finger over the golden curve. Suddenly wandering what other intresting facts he could find about about this so called 'cell', Sonic let his gaze drift around the room.

_Mirror, nightstand, TV, couch... What kind of prison is this? _

Sonic took another step and his handcuffs unhooked and fell to the ground. He looked at them in surprise. Noticing the red dot that connected to the cuffs was now green. _Eggman must've hit an off switch. _Sonic thought to himself gratefully. He kicked the cuffs to the side and began to explore.

Sonic snatched a juicy red apple from the top of the nightstand and kicked back on a comfy velvet bed. The softness reminded him of home. "Eggman sure knows how to treat a prisoner!" he joked, taking a bite of the apple. He glanced warily at the diamond ring that clenched around his leg. Reaching down, he rubbed the sore spot with his glove.

_The electricity was stronger here._ He thought to himself. _That must be why it hurts so much... _Sonic shoved a pillow behind his head as the light began to dim. He droppped the half-eaten apple on the ground and slowly closed his eyes.

"What do we have here?" Tails asked himself, searching his laptop. The news of Sonic's capture had already spread throughout Knothole and things were starting to get a little out of hand. Tails promised Sally that he would stop at nothing until Sonic is back home safely.

Hacking into Eggmans computer had not been easy, but Tails managed to pull up a few bits of info. Clicking on a link called 'Diamond Ring', Tails found a picture that looked identical to the ring on Sonic's leg.

Looking closely, he noticed three blades on the inside of the ring. Tails dragged his gaze to the other side of the page, only to find a pic of the remote watch Eggman was wearing. "Sally, you might want to see this." Tails said, rubbing his ear. The Princess looked up from her own computer, and slowly walked over to Tails. "Did you find anything?" She asked. Tails nodded his head. "Yes Sally, but it's no good." Sally quickly scrolled over the page.

"This is bad..." Sally groaned, squinting her eyes. Tails began to read outloud a peice of the page. "It says here that the only way to get it off is for Sonic's leg to... come off with it?" Tails froze. "S-Sally?" He stuttered, "We can't do that! Even if Sonic knew this, it would cause him way too much pressure!"

Sally lowered her head."You're right Tails..." She sighed. "Wich is exactly why we can't tell him."

Tails understood completely what Sally was thinking. For a guy like Sonic, losing their ability to run was worse than being held captive. If the thought crossed Sonic's mind, he might as well be torn to peices.

**Thankyou for reading. Please review. And don't worry, chapter 5 shouldn't take long. ;)**


	5. Work?

**CHAPTER.5**

"Good morning Sonic," said a familiar voice. Sonic rubbed his eyes as a red figure made its way to the front of him. "So it was'nt a dream..." Sonic groaned, sitting up. Eggman held out a plate full of food. "I didn't know what you liked so i grabbed a variety." He said smiling. Sonic cocked his head, "What's with all the hospitality?" He asked, stripping off a peice of bacon.

Eggman grinned, "I thought you might ask that... but the thing is I wanted you to be refreshed enough for work today." Sonic raised an eyebrow, "Work...?" He asked, dropping the bacon. "What are you talking about? I thought I was just your prisoner?!"

Eggman grabbed Sonic's arm and yanked him off the bed, "You're working for me whether you like it or not, rodent!" he ordered. "Gahh!" Sonic screeched, landing face first on the ground. He scrabbled to his feet and rubbed his head, "What was that for?" He asked, irritably twiching his ear. Eggman smirked, "Sonic, I think you know the answer to that one."

Sonic cautiously followed the Dr. out of the room, flanked by two robots. "I bet you're wandering where we're going. Eh, Sonic?" Eggman asked, beckoning Sonic infront of him. Sonic shrugged his shoulders, "Not exactly..." He sighed, "It's more like what you're planning on doing with me that i'm worried about."

"You'll see soon enough." Eggman laughed, straightening his mustache. Sonic glanced warily at the evil Dr., wandering what possibly could be going on in that crazed mind of his.

They walked a little further until they came upon an open door. Sonic peered into the room, just to be held back by Eggman. "I would'nt do that if I were you!" He warned, pushing Sonic to the side. A spotlight shined on Sonic, making him flinch, and alarms began to go off. "WARNING! WARNING! HEDGEHOG ALERT!"

Sonic ducked just in time to avoid a laser. "Eggman, what's this all about?!" , Sonic asked, jumping over a missle. Eggman seemed busy, rapidly typing things into his watch. "Computer, I order you to stop!"

Instinct told Sonic to aim for the source, but he knew Eggman would'nt be too happy with it. After all, it was his creation and if he destroyed the thing Sonic would be in for a shock. Instead, Sonic decided settle for defense. Two missles headed in his direction._ Time for some fun! _He thought, jumping into the air. Sonic kicked one missle into the other and watched happily as they exploded into tiny bits. "Yeah!" Sonic boasted, "Score one for the hedgehog!"

Sonic lept directly in between two laser cameras, "Over here!" He taunted, pointing to himself. The machines quickly turned to the hedgehog and shot at once. Sonic dodged to one side, causing them to shoot each other.

minutes seemed to pass before the electricity shut off. "What took you so long, Egghead?" Sonic asked, staring at the wreck. Eggman glanced at his watch then at the hedgehog, "Everything in this base is programmed to kill you, Sonic." he muttered, "I had to shut off the power source in order to...!" Eggman was cut off as Sonic lept into the air.

_Now's my chance!_

He lashed out with his leg and tripped the Doctor, sending him flying to the back wall. Eggman hit the wall with a thud. "What do you think you're doing, you mangie rodent!" He scowled, glaring at the hedgehog. Sonic studied his glove. "Not much you can do to me now, huh, Eggman?" He joked, " With any electricity off and all..."

Eggman slowly pulled up his watch, "I would'nt be too sure about that!" He laughed, pressing one of the many buttons.

_No way!_ Sonic thought, slowly backing up. A needle poked into Sonic's leg "Ahh!" Sonic screeched, wrapping his hands around the ring. "What are you doing to me?"

Sonic's head head began to spin and he passed out on the ground.

Eggman stared at the pathetic creature."You really thought you cold outsmart me?" he laughed, feeling the buttons on his watch, Eggman reached for a particular one. "For that I should...!"

_No! _He quickly stopped himself. Evil thoughts raced through his mind.

_I'll need you for later..._

Eggman grabbed Sonic's arm. _I'll have to do this myself!_ He thought, lifting the dazed hedgehog his shoulders. He slowly walked into the room and set Sonic in a capsule. _Sonic will wake up soon..._ He thought, _and when he does, I'll use his incredible energy as my new power source! _

**Thanks for reading! Please review! I'll get to work on chapter 6 ASAP! ;)**


	6. The Submarine

Sally, I need to know what Eggman's up to." Tails sighed. It had been the third argument they had that day and Tails willed desperately for the Princess to understand. "Sonic could be dead for all we know." Tails continued, "C'mon Sall, youv'e got to let me see if he's ok!"

Sally leaned back against her throne and groaned, "I already told you Tails. It's too dangerous and Eggman's smarter than that. If he had Sonic under his complete control, killing Sonic would be the last thing on his mind." Tails shook his head, "But Sally..."

"No buts." Sally said, standing from her chair.

She looked at the devastated fox and sighed. "I'm as worried about Sonic as you are Tails, but I can't let anything happen to you." Tails drooped his head and stared at the ground.

"Besides," Sally continued," I don't know who could… " She was cut off as a red figure ran into the room and wrapped his arm around Tails.

"I'll take him." Offered the Echidna.

"Knuckles!" Tails gasped, spinning around. "I can't believe it!"

Knuckles nodded and turned to the Princess, "I can take him, right?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Sally couldn't help but smile, "All right you two, but don't let Eggman see you."

"We won't." They both said, turning to leave.

Sally stopped Tails before he reached the door "Oh, and Tails?" She asked, holding up her hands, "I want you to take this with you." Tails spun around and glanced at Sally. He looked down and saw a small device in her hands. "What is it Sally?" He asked, staring at the clear chip.

"It's a tracker." Sally answered seriously, "I want you to place it on ring around Sonic's leg." She slid the chip into Tails' hands. "We have to make sure that Sonic is safe, and I can't do that unless I know where he is."

Tails nodded his head, "Okay Sally, I will." He said quietly, raising his tails into the air. "And I promise we'll be back soon!" He hollered.

_I know Tails will get the job done._ She thought, waving to the fox as he quickly flew out the door.

"Ugh." Sonic groaned, blinking open his eyes. _What happened? Where am I?_ _And why do I feel so dizzy? _He turned just in time to see Eggman swivel around in his chair. "Ahh, Sonic, you're awake."

Sonic stared at the glass surrounding him and pressed his back against the wall. "How long have I been out?" he asked, sliding his gaze to a nearby capsule.

Sonic saw robot hanging limply from attaching wires. It looked like a robotic hedgehog. Its head was hanging down and green sparks of light flashed from its eyes.

"Two hours." Eggman answered, noticing the curious looks Sonic gave his new invention. "Oh, this?" He shrugged, tapping the glass. "This is your replica… But don't worry Sonic. It's only temporary.

Sonic jumped back in surprise as a grey wall began to cover his capsule. A chill crept through his fur as luminescent green lights began to rapidly flash over the grey. A sharp wind escaped through a vent in the top of the capsule and made Sonic shiver. He backed up and quickly formed his spin dash position.

_I sure hope this works!_

He shot directly at a wall, only to bounce back as an invisible force field blocked his attack. "It's not that easy!" He yelled, positioning himself for yet another attack. He jumped into the air, just to be stopped by a green strike of light. Sonic sprang back as a crackling noise sounded in his ears.

_Was that… lightning?_

As if the thought summoned it, another beam flashed. "Hey, watch it!" Sonic gasped, dodging to the side. He let his guard down and a green beam struck his back. "Ahh!" He screeched. Sonic started to fall but quickly pushed against the capsule side for support.

Within seconds the capsule wall lifted to reveal Eggman, along with his gruesome smile. "Well now Sonic, the past few days have been quite a _shock_ for you haven't they?" He laughed, turning to the second capsule. He stared at his creation in awe, overwhelming himself with pride. t "I just copied your data onto my main computer. I have copied every quill, and strand of fur from your pathetic pelt."

"What am I, your guinea pig?" Sonic said, walking up to stand at the front of the capsule. He took another step forward and his weight shifted underneath him."Whoa!" He gasped, beginning to run. The metal underneath him just kept going in the opposite direction. He ran faster and faster but he just stayed in the same place.

Energy shot up from wires in the capsule and Sonic slapped his hands to his face. "Let me rephrase that! I am officially a hamster."

Eggman gave Sonic an evil grin. Stepping back as a blue smoke rose from the second capsule. A circle of lasers surrounded the machine from the ground and gradually rose to the top. _Red shoes, white gloves, blue fur…_

_No way!_

The capsule opened to reveal an exact copy of Sonic. "You won't get away with this, Eggman!" He warned, trying to slow down.

Eggman pulled a remote from his pocket, laughing as he pressed one of the buttons. The ground suddenly stopped underneath Sonic's feet and he was unexpectedly thrown to the back wall.

As the capsule walls began to lift, a claw reached out of nowhere and grabbed him.

"Whoa! Hey, put me down!" Sonic yelled, banging on the metal. He tried to run but was quickly shoved into a weird machine. Doors closed behind him and a robotic voice echoed thought the tight space.

"LAUNCHING IN: 10, 9…"

Sonic pressed up against the glass to see Eggman and his replica. Eggman leaned towards the glass, "I am sending you to an island to collect an emerald for me. If you fail..." He said, pointing to his watch, "Well, you know the penalty."

Sonic jumped back in surprise as the countdown was nearing its end. He just happened to catch something Eggman said about a submarine…

"Submarine! Wait! I can't…!"

"…3, 2, 1"

**Hope you like it! Sorry it took so long. I had so many things I wanted to do in this chapter. LOL, I'll have the next chapter up soon! ;D**


	7. The First Step

**CHAPTER.7**

Sonic tried to stay calm as the submarine took off through the metal tunnels. He held in a scream that was forcing its way up his throat.

_I've got to out of here!_

Sonic pressed up against the side of the submarine and found a handle connected to a door. He quickly began to pull. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Said a voice.

Sonic spun around to search for the source of the noise. "Who's there?" He asked. A slight vibrate come from the ring around his leg and Sonic looked down. The ring was blinking a bluish color and the vibrating suddenly stopped. "It's me, blue rodent!" Eggman screamed.

Sonic groaned, "Who else could it be?"

The ring continued to blink blue with every word the Doctor spoke. "As I have already told you, this island holds one of the seven chaos emeralds, and you have to find it for me." Sonic heard a slight chuckle at the end of Eggman's sentence and looked through the submarine window to find that it had completely stopped. In front of the submarine were two doors. "Oh Sonic," laughed Eggman. "I've always wanted to do this to you."

Fear spread thought Sonic's body as the doors began to open. Water oozed from the doors and surrounded the submarine, sweeping it into the depths of the ocean.

"Oh, where could it be?" Tails groaned, searching the Doctor's base. Knuckles followed closely behind, cracking his knuckles as he spoke. "That guard robot won't forget me in a hurry!"

Tails twitched his ear irritably as he opened a door. "We've got to find Sonic." He said, hopping onto a chair. A computer lay before him. "What are the codes again Knuckles?" Tails asked. Knuckles pulled up a sheet of paper and slowly began to read. "243, 182,951. Gee, it's a good thing Roter knows how to hack!"

Tails quickly typed in the codes. "Okay, one more and…" _Beep. _The two looked closely as a map popped up over the screen. "Knuckles look!" Tails gasped, pointing to a figure moving across the map. "A submarine has just left the base! I wonder where it's headed."

Knuckles shook his head. "I'll bet we just missed him."

Tails looked down at the keyboard and sighed. "You're probable right." He opened his hands slightly to reveal the chip that Sally gave him. _We can't give up yet. _He thought, tightening his grasp. _Sonic would do the same for me… _Tails squeezed the chip even tighter in his hands, stood up, and slowly began to walk back to the door. Knuckles watched the fox turn to leave and quickly caught up to him. He gave the fox a friendly smile. "Let's go get ourselves a hedgehog."

Tails smiled back up at the echidna and gave a small chuckle. They both began to walk down a small hall that led to yet another set of doors. "How many doors does this place have?" Knuckles joked sarcastically, beckoning Tails forward. A large robot came into view and Tails leaned closer to Knuckles and whispered in his ear. "That thing looks as big as Eggaman!"

Knuckles began to laugh, "You mean 'almost' as big as Eggman." The echidna scuttled forward and gave Tails the 'play along' look. The robot seemed to hesitate before holding out his gun to Tails' chest. "WHO GOES THERE!" It asked in its deep robotic voice. Tails put his hands in the air. "Um, Um… Knuckles?"

Tails couldn't help but chuckle as Knuckles puffed out his red chest and set a few quills under his nose. "I am Doctor E. Robotnic and this is my prisoner." The robot lowered its weapon and faced Knuckles. It then pointed its weapon in the opposite direction. "DR. EGGMAN, THE PRISON IS THAT WAY."

A drop of sweat ran down Knuckel's face. "Um, yeah, I knew that." Knukcles sighed, thrusting a fist towards the robot. "Let's get this over with."

The robot flew backward and exploded into pieces. "Come on Knuckles," Tails beckoned, "Let's go!" He quickly flew into the room, leaving the echidna to follow. Loads of airplanes and flying equipment were placed all around the room. Tails happily dashed from machine to machine. "Look at this one!" He would squeak, "And this one!"

The fox seemed to be forgetting why they were there. "Tails, are you forgetting something?" Knuckles asked. Tails' cheery mood suddenly seemed to dwindle. "I know, stick to the mission…"

Knuckles found a small green button and began to press it. "I wonder what this thing does." He said. Tails immediately jumped up. "Knuckles, don't…!" He was cut off as a large plane came out of the floor. Tails stood in awe. This was the coolest plane he had ever seen! It had missiles, bombs, and all kinds of ammunition! Tails smiled as he ran up to it. "Let's take this one!"

Sonic's stomach lurched from the tilts of the submarine and even the sight of water. "I don't feel too well." He groaned. The ring began to blink again. "Seasick are we?" Eggman laughed. Sonic looked down at the ring and sighed. "I just can't get rid of you can I?"

Eggman chuckled and Sonic covered his face with his hands. _When I get to this island, I'm supposed to find an emerald. If I do, I'll be helping Eggman win the battle with Sally and the other freedom-fighters. If I do not, I don't know what he'll do to me…_

Sonic looked up just in time for the submarine to come to a complete stop. He felt a buzz from the ring. "I'll pick you up in 48 hours. If you do not bring me the emerald in that time limit, I'll make sure to destroy every one of those freedom-fighting scraps. Do not disappoint me."

With that, the Dr. signed off.

The front wall opened up to reveal land. Sonic would normally be happy to see it, but he'd rather stay in the submarine than take his first step towards this cursed island. "Emerald it is." He sighed, walking forward. The bright light shined in his eyes and Sonic put his hand above his forehead to block out the sun. Sonic knew the freedom-fighters could cope with a few robots, but an army attacking the heart of Knothole without warning would be disastrous. Eggman may not know the location of the camp but with Sonic out of the way, finding it and taking over would be a piece of cake.

Eggman chuckled as he threw a few tweaks into Sonic's replica. "When this battle is over, not only will Knothole fall from its wounds," He grinned evilly.

"But from internal destruction."

**Sorry it took so long. I sure hope the story was worth the wait! ;)**


	8. The Reunion

**CHAPTER.8**

There's nothing here!

Sonic wanted to wail it to the stars. He'd been searching the island all day

I'd expect a pulse or something…

Sonic trailed away from the jungle and found himself heading towards the shore. A blue light in the darkness immediately connected his eyes to the shallows. "Oh!" He exclaimed, leaning over the dark blue waters. Sonic felt an unexpected chill spread throughout his body and turned to the light, shining even brighter at his presence.

There it was… The emerald!

Sonic began to reach towards the object, but he was quickly reminded of the water which surrounded it and pulled back. _I'm not going through anything like that again… _The memory of the water surrounding the submarine was still fresh on his mind. Instead, he decided to fish out the emerald. "Let's see…" Sonic said to himself, searching the beach for scattered branches.

His eyes rested on a long, yet tattered branch. _This should work!_ He thought, quickly picking it up. Sonic found some dried seaweed nearby and wrapped it around the end of the stick, creating a perfect net. He then dipped it into the water and scooped up the emerald. Sonic put it into his hands and the shimmering blue jewel dazzled his eyes. It was magnificent!

A whirring noise jolted Sonic from his thoughts and he quickly hid the emerald behind a cluster of rocks. _That looked like one of Eggman's ships. What was that thing doing here?_

"We should land here." Tails suggested, looking over the beach. For a moment he thought he saw a flash of blue on the shore but the moment he saw it, it was gone. _That almost looked like a…_ Tails shook his head. _Never mind…That's not important. Though, I might check it out if we have enough time…_

Tails quickly landed the plane on the shore as Knuckles ran into the room, a pack slung around his shoulders. "Okay, all set."

"What's in there?" Tails asked.

"Matches, first aid kit, stuff like that. I thought it might come in handy."

"Alright, Sally says that we can't stay here too long but that stuff might be of use. I sure hope we don't have to use that first aid kit though…"

"Same here," Knuckles agreed, walking to the plane entrance. "Let's get going." Tails nodded, stood from his seat, and followed the echidna out of the plane. "So, which direction first?" Knuckles asked. "I thought I saw something along the shore." Tails suggested. "We could try there." Knuckles nodded his head as Tails led the way along the beach. "I hope it doesn't take too long to find-"

"Just what's going on here?"

Tails stiffened. "Who was that?" He could barely see a thing besides the moonlight reflected on the ocean. His eyes still used to the brightness of the plane.

"I said, 'What's going on here?' Are you going to answer me?"

Tails narrowed his eyes. "We don't know what you're talking about. Who are you?" He asked. The voice seemed to grow louder. That…or the source was getting closer. "Don't play that game with me! I don't know what you're up to, but you can't keep secrets from me." Tails felt a blast of wind against his side; unsteadying him and making him fall backward. He heard Knuckles grunt beside him. "What the…!"

Before Tails knew it, he was pinned to the ground by the figure. "I've got you right where I want you! And don't even think about electrocuting me because if you do, you will only be hurting yourself!"

Tails let out a shriek. "Get off of me!"

The figure leaned in closer. "You've got some nerve to-!" He paused.

"Wait a minute… Tails, is that… Is that you?"

Tails couldn't believe his ears. _That sounds like…_ His eyes adjusted to the darkness and he saw the outline of the familiar face. "Sonic?"

"Tails!" the hedgehog exclaimed, wrapping his arms around the fox. "I've missed you buddy!"

"Sonic! You're okay!" squeaked Tails.

"You don't look okay." Knuckles pointed out.

"Knuckles is here too?!" Sonic happily twitched his ear. _And here I thought this was the worst day of_ _my life… _He noticed Tails looking down at the ring around his leg. The spot looked swollen and sore, like it felt… "Sonic," Tails asked worriedly, "What happened?" Sonic followed his gaze. "Oh this?" he shrugged. "This… this is nothing."

Sonic winced with pain as a stray piece of grass whipped against his leg. Knuckles narrowed his eyes. "That certainly doesn't look like nothing."

"I'll be fine." Sonic insisted, trying to ignore the ache. "More importantly, how are things going at Knothole? How is Sally?" Tails shook his head. "Sonic, they're all worried about you… Especially Sally." Sonic trailed his gaze to the beach. "I miss them." He looked back to Tails. "I've missed you guys."

"We've missed you too Sonic." Tails agreed. "It's good to know you're safe."

Tails thought he saw a flicker of depression and pain in his friend's eyes. _There's something he's not telling me… _

"Maybe we should head back to the plane for the night." insisted Knuckles. "We could talk more in the morning." Sonic narrowed his eyes with reluctance. "I'll stay out here for the night... I've been around enough metal for one day."


	9. Perry

**CHAPTER.9**

"Ready rodent?" asked the doctor. Sonic looked to his copy in front of him. From a distance, the thing looked exactly like him, flesh and everything. Though closer up, he noticed a few metal flecks of detail. He recalled the time earlier this morning that he spent with his friends. He felt much better after seeing them again. He told Tails to be careful. He knew something big was going to happen. _But what?_ He had to find a way to get out of this… _But how?_ Eggman took ahold of the emerald with pleasure. _What was he planning to do with it? Why does he need me?_ These thoughts swarmed his mind. He'd find a way out of this… He'd just have to think…

"I said, are you ready?" Sonic looked up to the glass above the empty room. There stood Eggman, computers on every side of him. He'd been saying something about a test. _If he thinks this replica is strong and fast enough to beat me. _Sonic grinned. _He'll have to think again._

"Ready."

"About time." Eggman says, clicking on a computer and activating the robot. The thing's eyes flashed a green fire. It looked dangerous. "Whoa, Doc." Sonic says, trying to look impressed. "You got any water to quench that fire."

"I thought of that." says Eggman. "But I decided to introduce you to something new… A new phobia perhaps."

"Ha!" Sonic says sarcastically. "Very funny. So what is this new phobia? Fire maybe? You don't scare me."

Eggman smiled. "Lucky for you, unless needed, we won't be using that during this battle. I need you in one piece."

"One piece, eh? So it's not fire."

"Of course it's not fire you twit!" Eggman scowled. "Green fire?! How could you be so stupid? I'd expect to have beaten such a brainless pest like you before now."

Sonic hesitated and took a moment to scratch his ear before asking, "Is that supposed to be an insult?"

That was it. Here come the insults…

Eggman burst out yelling. "Yes, you idiot! That was an insult! Stupid, mangy, blue pest! -!" On and on… Sonic smiled and began to chuckle. He loved watching ol' Eggy make a fool of himself. Eggman stopped complaining, realizing what Sonic was doing. He then looked down at Sonic with a glare. "You're enjoying this aren't you?"

Sonic gave an ornery smile. "Every moment."

"Then let's make things amusing for me, shall we? MS2, attack!" Eggman commanded. The robot flung itself at Sonic. Sonic easily dodged, leaving the thing to crash into the wall. "Seriously, Eggy?" Sonic says, crossing his arms. "It's bad enough to come up with a lame nickname for a robot that good looking, but come on! You were acting like that thing could really beat me."

Eggman snickered, leaving Sonic to turn around in curiosity. The thing was standing up! Its eyes flashed. "This can't be good." Sonic muttered. He dashed toward the robot and it quickly moved out of the way, leaving Sonic to the wall. He quickly slowed before he could crash. He heard a beep from the robot.

_ That thing is copying my every move! _

Sonic stood still and watched as the robot perked its ears. _It's waiting for me to make a move. _"Once MS2 is complete," Eggman explained, "He will bring complete destruction and chaos upon Mobius. He'll be unstoppable!" Sonic threw a look of curiosity at MS2. It looked so innocent. "This thing?" He says, walking towards the robot. "It certainly doesn't look like any killer I've seen. Maybe you should make a copy of yourself, Eggman. That would scare me for sure!"

Eggman scowled. "I wouldn't say such things if I were in your shoes rodent. My robot will stay exactly how he is." The robot never moved, just kept staring at Sonic. "Aw…"Sonic says. "Can't he at least have a better name than MS2?"

"You name it then, hedgehog," says Eggman, "Anything to get you to shut up!"

Sonic studied MS2. "Hmm… let me think…" he hesitated. "How about Perry?"

"Perry?"

"Aw…" says Sonic, patting the robot's head. "Doesn't he look like a Perry?" Eggman narrowed his eyes. "No, he looks like you."

Sonic stopped patting the robot and stared blankly in shock.

"I LOOK LIKE A PERRY?!"

Eggman stifled a chuckle. _The idiot. _

He stood up and opened the door behind him, walking down a small flight of stairs. He reached the bottom to find Sonic staring strangely at MS2 _or Perry, as Sonic calls him._

"Sonic," Eggman called. Sonic immediately whipped his head around in surprise. He didn't realize Eggman was behind him. "Eggman?" he acknowledged.

Sonic waited in silence as Eggman slowly pulled something from his pocket. A Sharp gleam of metal caught Sonic's eye and he took a step back. _What was that thing?! -A stun gun, poisonous dart? Will it hurt me?! _He shied away for a moment and looked up to see Eggman dangling the object in front of him.

_KEYS?!_

Eggman grinned, placing the keys carefully in Sonic's hands.

"Doc, I don't understa-"

"-I am giving you privileges, hedgehog." Eggman confirmed.

Sonic was taken aback. "You're kidding me."

Eggman shook his head. "I am allowing you to go anywhere you like. After all, our speedy 'Hero' needs some room to run." he continued, "Under on condition…"

Okay, Sonic was freaked out. This wasn't at all what he had expected from his nemesis. He stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Yes?" he asked, noticing his replica had come to stand beside Eggman, its eyes, his own lime-green color.

"MS2," Eggman continued, "Or 'Perry', will be with you at all times. You will not leave his sight."

Sonic didn't hesitate. "Sure thing Egghead!" Eggman shot a glare at Sonic and he quickly noticed his mistake. "Did I say Egghead? I meant Eggman! You know how easy those names are to be confused."

Sonic had to be careful around Eggman. After all, he still had 'the watch.' Luckily, Eggman turned around without speaking a word, and slammed the door behind him. Once the doctor was gone, Sonic wiped away the sweat from his forehead. "Phew!"

"Great goin' you moron! You made him mad."

Sonic spun around with surprise.

"PERRY?!"

**Ha! Ha! There you go guys! Another chapter! Thanks for reading! ;)**


	10. Knothole?

**Chapter .10**

Sonic stared at Perry in shock. _That thing talked! It sounded exactly like me!_ "S- So you can talk?!" Sonic asks, flicking he ear. He hoping it would talk back to him. Instead, Perry just blinked at Sonic, flicking his ear in return. Sonic narrowed his eyes. "Okay…" he says, slowly heading towards the door. Sonic decided to return to his room and to his surprise, Perry followed, ear still flicking repeatedly. During the walk down the hall, Sonic could feel the robot's gaze boring onto his back. His pelt pricked with unease. Sonic quickly turned around to find Perry staring, once again.

"Would you stop staring at me?" he screeched, "You're freaking me out!"

Perry continued, still, and kept flicking his ear. Apparently, he found it amusing. Sonic growls, once again, turns around and continues his walk to the room. _Wait a second…_ he tells himself. _I don't have to go back to that room! _He held up the keys._ I can go anywhere! _

The sudden reminder gave him a rush of excitement, along with a burst of energy. He dashed through the halls. The quick gust of wind picked up every speck of dust lining the halls. Soon the base was filled with dust, flying up like smoke. Sonic felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Perry shaking his head. _Looks like the replica can keep up! But not for long! _"Hey, Perry, race ya' to the front door!"

Perry's eyes widened and again he shook his head. Sonic continued to run. "Let's race!"

Sonic dashed ahead, leaving Perry in the dust. Perry's eyes flashed and he gradually accelerated. Sonic looked behind him in surprise. Perry was much faster than he'd expected. Sonic turned forwards and noticed, far away, the doors to the entrance. He gasped when he noticed something blocking his path. He began to slow down, but noticed Perry kept going. _No!_ Just as Perry dashed by, Sonic grabbed his arm and pulled him back, but the force only threw them forward.

Sonic felt a slight shock as he tumbled into the small clearing. He could hear the loud thud of Perry landing right beside him. "Ugh…" he groaned, rolling over on his side. He felt dizzy, but risked looking up, smiling sheepishly.

"Oh, heh, heh, good day Eggman. We meet again."

"The outdoors is for running!" Eggman scowled, "I barely even reached my lab before-" He immediately stopped his sentence as he looked down to find Perry limply sprawled out on the ground next to Sonic. "What is this all about?" he asked angrily, pulling out his watch.

Sonic's heart quickened as he jumped to his feet. "I can explain!"

"Oh, yeah, Hedgehog?" Eggman says, narrowing his eyes. "This better be a good one."

Sonic looked down as Perry began to stir. "TO RUN, MASTER. TO COPY DATA."

Eggman hesitated for a while before replying, "Very well then." He then turned to Sonic. "From here on, you will be held accountable for every scratch on MS2. And I'm sure you could do with a few attitude adjustments yourself."

Sonic grimaced at the saying. _Phfft! Attitude adjustments! Like he's the one to talk! _Sonic angrily walked to the front door and grabbed the handle.

"Just where do you think you're going?"

Sonic stiffened up at the question and his pelt pricked with fear. If he did something even slightly wrong or even stupid he just might find out what one of those other buttons do. And he was defiantly not looking forward to that. He cleared his throat. "I'm on my way outside." He says, pulling out the keys.

Eggman raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Aren't we forgetting something?"

"Oh!" Sonic gasped, rushing forward to grab Perry. The machine hadn't exactly stood up yet, but must've had its memory chip shuffled up somehow, and still kind of dizzy. Eggman stopped Sonic once again before he could leave. "I expect no more of this nonsense. You will do as I say. Have Perry back to my lab at nine P.M. or you might be 'needed' in the lab also."

Sonic nodded his head in shock, grabbed Perry, and left the base as fast as possible. Eggman grinned. He knew how much the word 'lab' scared his rival. He hadn't really been planning any experiments or lab work on Sonic, but the threat seemed to work. He had better plans in store.

"I am going to Knothole!" Sonic muttered to himself; Perry still in his grasp. _Maybe Sally can find out how to get this diamond shackle off of me. _He ran a little ways further to a tall patch of grass and set Perry down. He then thought to himself. _Can robots really become dizzy? I've never actually thought about it. How weird…_

"So, I know I'm supposed to keep you with me, but hey," he admits, looking around. "I'm known for disobeying orders!" Sonic says, taking a few paces towards Knothole. He looks back for a moment but-

"Perry!?"

The replica had disappeared! "No, no, no! This can't happen!" He gasped running back to the spot where he left him. He was gone! "Perry!" he called, "Perry!" he stopped to hesitate. "Man, I'm dead!" He had to think. _Okay, if I return to Knothole, it's a possibility that they can get this ring off me. If it works, I can continue on with my normal life and never have to see this thing again. But if it doesn't… _He quickly spun around.

_No, it 'has' to work!_

Sonic dashed on and quickly realized his feet were taking him straight to Knothole. His home, where he felt he truly belonged. But a second thought struck his mind, way too late-

_-Where's Perry?_

Then it him. No, 'really hit him!' A sharp hit slammed across his face.

"Aah!" he screeched crashing into a tree. He slid down the trunk and rubbed his jaw. "Oww…" he groaned. Sonic looked around and shook his head. _What was that?_

"Not that way." says a voice.

Sonic slowly turned his head around to find a blue pelt in the shadows behind the tree. "So I'm guessing that you won't let me go anywhere alone and you certainly won't let me go to Knothole. -And why do you only seem to talk normal in front of me?"

"Yup." Says Perry.

Sonic faces forward, rolls his eyes, and crosses his arms. "So do all robots learn that punching people in the face is the proper way of saying no?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

Sonic chuckled at the answer. Perry wasn't all like the other robots. No, this one had a sense of humor. "Do you come here often?" Sonic asked, back facing his replica.

"I was only created 32 hours ago." Perry replied, ear still flicking.

Sonic turned around in his spot to find Perry doing the same. "Wow." Sonic sighs, "It's just like looking at my own reflection."

"Your reflection?" says Perry. "Is that how you see me?"

Sonic would expect a sigh or a frown from someone in which those words escaped their mouth, but from the look on Perry's face he seemed delighted by the idea. _How strange. There was something defiantly wrong with this one. _

Then Sonic had an idea. "Perry," he asks, standing up. "How would you like to go to Knothole with me?"

Perry looked down, apparently lost in thought (Or his memory chip =3). "I don't think that's-"

"Oh, come on!" Sonic urged, grabbing Perry by the arm and barely setting him down. "They're going to love you!" he says, dashing off with the replica.

Perry's eyes widened in confusion. "There is no file for Knothole!"

"What are you blabbing about?" Sonic asks. _Why does everyone think they can talk all sciency around me and expect me to understand every detail? _He quickly swerved around another tree as he was nearing the forest.

Perry's eyes flashed. "Bad idea, bad idea!"

"What do you mean 'bad idea'?" Sonic asked, "Robots shouldn't care!"

Perry's eyes flashed brighter this time. "No!" he warned, pushing his foot down as a break. "You can't!"

Perry grabbed Sonic's arm with a tight grip and held him back. "Perry!" Sonic says, narrowing his eyes. He tried to run away, only to find himself going nowhere, and sending a shower of dust behind Perry. "Try and stop me!" he says, quickly turning on the robot. He settles for tackling Perry only to be tripped out from beneath his own feet and sent tumbling into the dust.

Sonic leapt forward in position of one of his battle moves, only to see a flash of green and Perry did the same. They clashed and sprang back. "I bet you don't know this one!" Sonic says. _I'll show him who's the 'real Sonic' around here! _Lunging for Perry, he quickly spins in the air. He summons his energy, heart racing, and dives toward the frightened Perry. Then he remembers-

_-_ _you will be held accountable for every scratch on MS2._

_Oh, boy, not good! _Sonic quickly swerved; unluckily, into a patch of nettles.

Perry shook his head. "Deleting misfortunate attack." He then hesitated and flicked his ear, narrowing his eyes and showing a smirk. "Wait for it…"

"YEEEEOOOOCCCCHHHH!"

Perry walked over to the nettle, pulled apart the bushes and reached out his hand. "Looks like you could use some help."

"Oh, the pain! The agony! Chaos, kill me now!"

"It's only a few splinters." Perry insists jokingly.

"Giant splinters!" Sonic continues. "Don't just stand there, help me up!"

Perry grabs Sonic by the hand and sets him on his feet. "Ouch," He agrees, now seeing Sonic and the nettles clearly. "Now that I think about it, you could pass for a porcupine."

Sonic rolls his eyes, and tries to walk, covered from head to toe in nettles. "Remind me again why you had to come with me." He said, pulling out the thorns.

"I don't really know," Perry explains, "I think it had something to do with keeping you out of trouble, but Eggman didn't really say."

Sonic hesitated for a moment. _Why didn't Eggman tell this robot his purpose? If it really was to keep me out of trouble, then why did he let me leave in the first place? Something strange is going on here… I just know it._

Perry continues. "And there was just something about that word… What was it?"

Sonic took a moment to think. "Knothole?" _The Freedom Fighter's camp? Wouldn't Eggman have informed him about that? Eggman's been trying to find it for- _Sonic's eyes widened.

_WHY, THAT SLY FOX! That's why he let me go so easily! There's got to be some sort of tracking device on this ring! How dare he try to trick me into taking him to Knothole! _Sonic angrily searched the ring. Though, he knew that if Eggman put a tracking device on the ring, he'd be smart enough to put it on the inside. But sure enough, he found what he was looking for, or so he hoped.

A small, clear chip reflected in the suns dimming light. "Found it!" Sonic exclaimed, slipping off the chip and examining it. "It's so small, I would have never noticed-"

"Noticed what?" Perry asks.

Sonic quickly dropped the chip behind his back along with giving a sheepish smile. "Oh, nothing." He says, walking away. Now let's get back before nine P.M." Sonic was pretty sure that chip was what he was looking for, but just to be safe, he wanted to get the ring entirely off before he went back to Knothole. He wasn't willing to risk their safety. _But why did Perry stop him?_

"Okay…" Perry says, watching Sonic leave. He quickly scanned through the area and easily found a small clear square. _A tracking device? I don't think this should be left here. Maybe I should hold onto it for Sonic. It appears he dropped it and is highly capable of losing it again. _

"Perry, come on!"

"Coming!"

**Okay, I know that I'm the one writing this story and all, but I have to admit, Perry's pretty awesome! Review if you agree! =3**


	11. Virus

**Chapter 11.**

Sonic awoke with a start. He felt so strange living here… in Eggman's base. He was even startled by the fact that he was still alive. He would have never thought that after all those years of taunting and destroying Eggman's plans that he would have let him off this easy. Something had to be up. He looked around to find Perry gone. Now where could he be? Sonic thought. He turned to find a small coffee table next to his bed with a variety breakfast foods. It was strange to think that someone or something had entered the room while he had been asleep.

After eating, a knock sounded at the door and before Sonic could answer, a note was shoved in his face.

"From your fellow Freedom Fighters." said a strange robot. Sonic took the note without hesitation as the one-wheeled robot swiveled out of the room.

"Freedom Fighters?" the name escaped his mouth. _Is that even possible? Eggman wouldn't just_- He ignored his thoughts and quickly read over the note.

'Dear Sonic, we hope to have you back soon. Be careful. We're doing the best we can. Write back as soon as possible. We're all worried about you. –Freedom Fighters.'

Sonic rolled his eyes "That's it?! No wonder Eggman let that one pass…" He muttered, throwing the note into the fireplace behind him. _Do they even care? _He wondered. He felt hurt. _What's going on? _He thought, closing his eyes. _Surely they wouldn't just sit there, would they?_ His eyes flickered back to the fire._ …No, they wouldn't! _The note…. _That's not like Sal….No, she's very creative with notes… _The thought made him spin back to the fire. There it was. The flames sent new words forming in between the lines. He dashed to the fire and just as quickly pulled back out the note before it burned, leaving it only with a few singes. The new words were only darkened by the fire and were now clearly visible._ Nice one Sal. _He thought. A familiar respect clouded his mind.

'Okay, Sonic, listen up. If you actually got this note, it means that you're not as quill-brained as I thought.' Sonic stifled back a chuckle as he read that bit. It was as if he could hear her saying it in his head. "After recent research, I've realized that you're not the only one with one of those rings. This is way over our heads. Meet me in the woods the as soon as possible after you read this and burn the note. It may be too late. –Sally Acorn.'

Sonic threw the note back in the fire to hide the evidence and took a step back. The urgency in the letter was too much to ignore. _Too late? More than one?! What does she mean?!_

A knock sounded at the door and Sonic turned around to see the newcomer.

"Good morning Sonic!" Perry says, stepping into the room with a smile on his face. "Can we go outside today? I've never seen-"

"Listen, Pear," Sonic says, taking his eyes off the crackling fire. "You can't come with me today. I have something to do."

"That's not a very good idea… But why not?" Perry asks. He hesitates. "I won't tell anybody."

"Not now…" He narrowed his eyes. "It's very important and I can't tell you. I'll take you later. Just give me a few minutes, alright?"

Perry slowly nodded his head. "Well… Alright… A few minutes wouldn't hurt." He said. "Can I at least walk with you to the door?"

Sonic nodded to Perry who gave a friendly smile in return. Perry had been the only thing to cheer him up ever since he'd arrived, besides Tails and Knuckles, and he didn't even get to see them long before he had to come back. Perry's speaking had improved over the time he spent with him. He was the only one Sonic didn't feel uneasy around. It was all too weird. He thought back to how he got the ring on in the first place; the flashback of the deal for the ring to save his best friends life. _Eggman wouldn't just trick me like that. No matter how close he is to winning, he's always seemed to play fair. He's been awful sneaky lately. As a matter of fact, I haven't seen him for a couple of days… _

Sonic noticed Perry slip into a room as he neared the door. He'd been in there once when he was exploring the base. He didn't have the keys to a few of the doors. All that room had was a storage room with clothes for 'who knows what?'. It was definatly not Eggman's closet. No, Eggman wore XXXXXXL. But these looked like the clothes Mobians wear. Sonic shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. He set his hand on the door and an intercom turned on.

"Sonic." Said the Doctor's voice.

The hedgehog's ears lay flat. _Not this again…_

That second, Perry stepped out of the hall, wearing a light blue hoodie, and walked straight to the door.

A loud static sound spread thought the base as the intercom suddenly shut off.

Sonic perked his ears and gave a wink, along with a thumb up. Perry just gave a confused look and walked right up to Sonic. "What does that mean?" he asked.

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Never mind, Pear, let's go." He smiled, stepping out the door. Perry followed close behind. Dark clouds covered the sky.

"I thought you didn't want me to come with you." Perry said, turning to Sonic.

Sonic shrugged. "I guess I changed my mind."

"Here, take this." Perry says, handing a second blue hoodie to Sonic. "You'll need it."

"What for?" Sonic asked, taking the hoodie.

*Boom!*

Lightening filled the sky. Rain poured down heavily on the two. Sonic quickly put on the jacket. "WHY RAIN!? WHY TODAY," he complained. "OF ALL DAYS?!"

Perry stepped back a moment from fright, but suddenly saw the beauty and stared at the sky in amazement. "Rain…" He muttered. "It's amazing."

"What?" Sonic says, narrowing his eyes at the drops hitting his fur. "All I see is a bunch of w-water…" he shivered, watching Perry admiring the sky. "Wouldn't you get waterlogged or something?"

Perry turned around to face Sonic. "No," he says, flicking his ear. "I don't think so… Why?"

"Jus' wonderin'," Sonic said, walking in the direction of the woods. Perry took the lead. "You know," Sonic says, "You're pretty strange for a robot." He had to admit. There was something about this one… Something he'd never seen before in a robot. It's as if Perry had a mind of his own. He'd never seen a robot before who'd actually stopped to admire nature, let alone understand him.

"I am?" Perry asks, looking down sadly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Sonic says, "They thought I was strange when my speed was first recognized."

Perry perked up at Sonic's words. "Really?" He asks.

"Oh, sure." Sonic says, "I was the first living Mobian to ever break the sound barrier on foot. You can imagine how frightening that was for everyone."

"I guess so…" Perry stammers, walking ahead. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

As they neared the woods, a figure rushed forward. "S-Sonic!" She gasped, holding an object in her hands. "Sonic, this is an emergency!" She says, suddenly tripping over a rock.

"What is it, Sal?" Sonic asked, catching her before her fall.

Perry quickly jumped behind a boulder, clearly aware of the newcomer. He swiveled his ears to the two. _I wonder what it feels like to be a real Mobian…_ he wondered. A sudden familiar voice jumped into his head and he set back, giving into a flashback.

* * *

_"Painful…" says a voice inside his head. "Their freedom is dying…" The creature stands in pride. "Just look at his form…"_

_A second voice cuts in. "Yes I created him exactly as the creature I hate. But the most powerful at that." The voice halts for a moment before correcting "-Second most powerful." _

_A dazzling green gem is placed where Perry's heart should be. The gem contained some sort of strange substance. It appeared as if the darkness were in a constant war against the light. Perry shivered at the touch. Energy suddenly spread thought him, though he remained calm. "You've awakened." Laughed the creature. "It appears even Chaos picks its favorites." He hesitated as Perry opened his eyes to see his master for the first time; a tall round mustached man in what looked like a Michel Jackson thriller jacket. Beside him, stood a quarter of his height and half Perry's size, a creature in a blood red hood and shoes. The creature was quite strange. It had no nose, no ears, no hair, its head appeared to be perfectly round, though well hidden by the hood. Its legs looked quite strong and swift. Its shoes gave way to three long claws. The charcoal-black skin was quite unusual; a red hour glass on its chest. One left hand had five fingers with a sharp claw on each, as to where the other arm was strangely robotic and the hand appeared to be a gripping claw made up of three curved knives. Its eyes were ultimately strange. There were no pupils, only irises. One was green, the other was red. _

_Perry couldn't get the dark smile out of his head. He felt weak, yet so powerful. He didn't try to move. Not a word escaped his mouth. _

_The creature began to walk away. _

_"Take some time to get accustomed to your form, MS2." says the Doctor. He turned to the creature. "Sonic Will return in 48 hours. MS2 will keep him company for the short amount of days I need to finish the others."_

_The creature stopped. "Very well. I will be waiting for you at the dwarf Planet Suriv with the others. Bring the hedgehog and the replica when you are ready. I promise…" Its gaze darkens as it opened a door with the wave of his hand and suddenly vanishes._

_"…You will not fail this time." Its voice echoes thought the room._

_Eggman nodded his head. "Yes…" He says. "As you wish… Virus."_

* * *

Sally looked up in alarm. "It's the others!" she gasped. "You're not the only one!"

"What do you mean?" Sonic asks.

"Mario, Kirby, Olimar, Link-! All of them!" she pulls out Nichole as Sonic steps back to let reality sink in. "Look here!" she says, pointing to the smart device. "All the Heroes! They've all gone missing!"

**Yup. I got new ideas you guys! TAKE THAT WRITERS BLOCK! XP**

**This may samwhat be considered a crossover in some points. I wanted to make it more exiting! :)**

**'Virus,' my new OC sounds... well... a bit creepy. But I hope you guys learn to like him! Soon I will pe posting a picture of him as my avatar for a while so if you want to see what he looks like it'll be there!**

**Thanks for your reviews guys! You're all great! ;D**


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